God Dethroned – The World Ablaze Review

I love all subgenres of Metal, but my personal favorite subgenre is Death Metal. I discovered Cannibal Corpse at an early age and I fell in love with all things Death Metal, and this is why I chose to review God Dethroned’s new album, “The World Ablaze”. This album is the final part of a three part WWI trilogy that started with “Passiondale” in 2009 and their first album since “Under the Sign of the Iron Cross” in 2010. It’s been a long seven years. Can they pick up right where the last album went off?

The album begins with a short intro and rolls right into the first song, “Annihilation Crusade”. It’s what you expect from God Dethroned, which is blast beats and brutal Death Metal with catchy riffs. There may have been a long break between albums, but they didn’t lose any of their bite. Henri Sattler’s vocals are harsh and gritty, which fits in with the lyrical content of war. You’re not given a chance to catch your breath as you head right into the album title track, “The World Ablaze”, which is a relentless song with incredible drumming from Michiel Van Der Plicht. His drumming is flawless throughout the entire album and the lyrics are so descriptive, you can almost put yourself in the boots of a soldier with bombs raining down on him from above.

“On the Wrong Side of the Wire” is another heavy song detailing the gruesome reality of war without glorifying it, which is the tone for the entire album. “Close to Victory” is a good song, but some lyrics are repeated, like the line “Across no man’s land”, which was used in the previous song. Other than that, the song is excellent and everything you’d expect from God Dethroned.

There’s a short breather in the brutality with the intro “Könisberg”, but the album gets right back down to business with “Escape Across the Ice”, a song that’s slower, but just as heavy as their previous songs. Once again, the lyrics are so descriptive, you can place yourself in the scene of unforgiving cold as you march forward on a mission.

Next up is my personal favorite song of the entire album, which is “Breathing Through Blood”. I love everything about this song, from the show intro that builds into something beautiful to the lyrics about a dying soldier on the battlefield and his final thoughts. If you think the lyrics sound familiar, you’re right. God Dethroned has a song similar to this one on their “Passiondale” album called “Drowning in Mud”. Then again, it doesn’t surprise me, because this is the third and final part of a trilogy, so certain songs will be rehashed.

“Messina Ridge” is a song that’s sounds very Bolt Thrower influenced. From the first riff, that was the first band that came to my mind as I listened to this song. I don’t see that as and thing though. It’s still a good song. The final song, “The 11th Hour”, brings the album to a fitting end and thus ending the WWI trilogy that started in 2009.

In a way, I’m sad to see the trilogy ending because it was so good. “The World Ablaze” isn’t a perfect album, but it’s still a very good one.

Rating: 7/10

Tracklist:
1. A Call to Arms
2. Annihilation Crusade
3. The World Ablaze
4. On the Wrong Side of the Wire
5. Close to Victory
6. Könisberg
7. Escape Across the Ice (The White Army)
8. Breathing through Blood
9. Messina Ridge
10. The 11th Hour